POST # 48 - "TWO SILVER BULLETS!" by Reed Crandall

I present to you yet another expertly crafted work of horror by the legendary Golden Age artist Reed Crandall. 

"TWO SILVER BULLETS" first appeared in Warren's VAMPIRELLA #1, 1969. 

Written by Don Glut, our story involves the cold, snow-covered woods of Canada, one man, one woman, and, of course, there's a wolf. You will discover that when werewolves are involved, one silver bullet just might not be enough!

"TWO SILVER BULLETS!"

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Wow! What beautiful artwork, huh?

To see more amazing black and white art by Reed Crandall, 

just click on his name below!

(clicking on name above will bring up all Reed Crandall posts on this blog)

POST # 42 - "THE MUMMY STALKS!" by Reed Crandall

Recently I was talking about artist Reed Crandall and how many werewolf stories he had done over the years. Searching through my database I happened to come across this classic tale by Crandall that features another character from the horror pantheon, that being mummy dearest.

I realize I showcased Reed Crandall  in just the past week or so, but I didn't think you'd mind seeing more from him. I believe that you just can't go wrong with a well done work by a master like Crandall.

This time, the duo of writer Archie Goodwin ( here joined by another artistic master Roy Krenkel, who probably provided the plot) and artist Reed Crandall draw our focus to the scene of some unexplained murders occuring in the shadowed halls of a dark and musty London museum, where one of Scotland Yard's best detectives is brought in to try and solve the mystery before the deranged culprit adds to the growing body count. He'd better be quick about it, because every time they turn around they stumble across another mangled victim.

Wait! Did you hear something? It sounds like some kind of muffled but deliberate footsteps, not unlike a shambling walking corpse, and they're getting closer and closer! For God's sake, stay alert! Your heart pounds faster, the sweat begins to bead upon your forehead, and the hair on the back of your neck stands up while you begin to shiver involuntarily, all the while you wonder where the maniac will strike next! Stay out of the shadows, and get ready, as...

THE MUMMY STALKS! 

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Ha! Fooled you! Did I neglect to tell you that Mummy was a werewolf?

Must have slipped my mind...terribly sorry, old chap!

Seems it turns out this was another of those famous Reed Crandall werewolf tales after all!

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(originally published in EERIE # 5, 1966)



POST # 38 - "CURSE OF THE FULL MOON!" by Reed Crandall

As I now reestablish tentatively from my self-induced exile and commence posting on my blogs once more, I will attempt to initiate re-entry here with a minimum of blathering and effluvium.

That means that today's post will feature 50% less chattering,

so you can rightly focus 100% on the wonderful artwork's that are mattering.

Urg...terrible word play, but that's what happens when I bite my tongue.

Also, I bleed alot.

Reed Crandall (1917-1982) was an amazing artist and illustrator who brought a quality of professionalism to his work that tended to transcend the comic page. Even though he was said to be extremely humble and almost self-critical of his own work, his peers and fans universally esteemed him to be a master craftsman, and rightly so. His artwork in comics projected a sense of his illustrative skill for detail that could put technical draftsmen to shame. His artwork was basically almost too good to be in a comic book, but there it was, drawing in the reader with every delicate brush stroke.

He received critical fame from the onset of his career in comics, from the early 40's when he brought his talents to heroes such as BLACKHAWK and many others, continuing into the 50's when he was a gargantua among gargantuas in the renowned  EC Comics stable  (heavyweights all), again into the 60's when he lent his pen and brush to masterpieces such as today's post by contributing to Warren's classic horror line, and right on up through the early 70's. Toward the end of his comics career it was known that health issues as well as alcohol played a role in hastening his downfall, but in 1965 when he drew "CURSE OF THE FULL MOON!" he was still quite able to bring the magic he was known for. 

I'm not sure how many werewolf stories Mr. Crandall drew over the course of his life, but there have been an unusually high amount. That is probably because he was so incredibly skilled at it. There were several done for the Warren books alone. This horrifying lycanthropic chronicle was originally published in CREEPY #4 in 1965.

Don't you hate when the carriage you're riding in is attacked by a wolf and your driver gets killed? Whenever that happens to me, I just know it's going to be a long, rough night. Well, sure enough, that's just what happens in this classic tale, too, deftly written by Archie Goodwin.

I now cease my gurgling verbage and present for your enjoyment,

"CURSE OF THE FULL MOON!"

(Remember, click images to enlarge)

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That was good nasty fun, eh?

In case this happens to me, I always wear my wolf-whistle!

If you want to see another masterful werewolf tale by Reed Crandall, this time in color, click right here!

Go on, I dare ya!



POST # 27 - "SPAWN OF THE CAT PEOPLE" by Reed Crandall

Here's another beauty from the pages of CREEPY. Issue number 2, to be exact. 1965.

Archie Goodwin wrote it, and Reed Crandall exqisitely illustrated it, with the cinematic genius that hides beneath his perfectly rendered forms. As always, Crandall's gorgeous work is a joy and a wonder to behold.

Following the story is an ad that also appeared in CREEPY #2, drawn by the amazing Jack Davis. It depicts a scene from the story, and was more than likely originally a proposed cover design for issue 2 (Davis created the now famous cover artwork for CREEPY #1, and this cat-people design did make it onto the cover of 1965's EERIE #1 - ashcan edition). It appears Warren decided to bump Davis's cover image, and instead started printing covers by a blossoming artist named Frank Frazetta. The rest, as you know, is history.

Now, grab yourself an extra-large scooper for the kitty litter box, here comes the

SPAWN OF THE CAT-PEOPLE!

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Ad from CREEPY #2. Art by Jack Davis.

Cover for EERIE #1 ashcan edition.